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Kipp Caddy is no stranger to super dangerous waves. He’s a regular at places like Shipstern Bluff, so he’s well-versed in the art of surfing slabbing heaps of water. But sometimes it’s not the wave you have to worry about, as evidenced by the clip you see above.
Caddy was knocked out by an errant surfboard that found his head as he navigated a very heavy barrel. He’d just returned from Indonesia, and decided to enjoy the fruits of one of his favorite local spots when the accident happened.
“After my stint in Indo,” he wrote, “I came home and did a little mission down to one of my favorite waves. Unfortunately came undone, one of the lads who is an epic surfer got caught out of position and duck diving an 8’4″ with that much volume it’s a near impossible task which resulted in a freak accident. The board connected with my head and knocked me unconscious for a brief period, I remember fighting back into consciousness and being really low on energy and just scratching to the surface. The rest is a bit of blur.”
Luckily, the surfers in the lineup with Caddy were quick to respond. The board opened up Caddy’s head, giving him a bad concussion. He also tore his hamstring while he was underwater, so he’ll be on the sidelines for a few months.
Still, though, this could have been far worse, and it’s a good reminder that the wave you’re surfing isn’t always the thing to have your eyes on.
